I am looking at buying a 10x to 12x optical zoom camera. I think I have researched my options pretty well. There is one major problem which eliminates a few cameras right out of the box: I am allergic to a certain type of plastic finish, what I call a rough frosty matte finish. Many telephones, cameras, pens, scissor handles, etc, are made using this finish and it makes shopping for these things a giant pain. For this reason I cannot buy the Konica/Minolta DiMage line or the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ line because the area where my hand would hold the camera is made of that kind of plastic (or the grip material does NOT cover enough of the camera body to protect the sensitive areas of my hand from contact). The Panasonic seems great except for that darn plastic. And I can't remember about the one Kodak P850, don't know if I ever held that one.So...I've got left the Canon S1 IS and S2 IS, the Sony DSC-H1 and the Fuji 5200/5600.The Canon S1 IS is actually great for me--no bad plastic where I hold it and a nice sized grip for a small hand, with IS...but it's only 3.2mp and I would at least like the option of making large frameable prints. Unfortunately, the S2 IS has a larger and less comfy grip. The Sony is verrrrrrrry heavy. The Fuji feels great in my hands and is pretty lightweight but has no IS, just the "anti-blur" feature. I think I would buy this one for sure if it had real IS. And the price is right. But I wish there were some reviews on it--it's been out 6 weeks or more and none of the sites has a thorough review.So I am trying to decide how much comfort I will sacrifice to have IS. Yet I suppose if it is not the most comfortable thing to hold I risk shake on every shot. Will I regret not having IS or not even miss it?I feel like I am in a fairy tale and looking for the Prince Charming camera or the Goldilocks "just-right" one that doesn't exist.Â*Main uses: I travel a lot and take plenty of pictures on trips, take home/family snapshots, a few fountain pen closeups, and take indoor pictures of my hat designs for work. I don't blow up that many to 8 x 10 or larger but I would like to have that option.Any feedback greatly appreciated.Â*

...The Fuji feels great in my hands and is pretty lightweight but has no IS, just the "anti-blur" feature. I think I would buy this one for sure if it had real IS. And the price is right. But I wish there were some reviews on it--it's been out 6 weeks or more and none of the sites has a thorough review.So I am trying to decide how much comfort I will sacrifice to have IS. Yet I suppose if it is not the most comfortable thing to hold I risk shake on every shot. Will I regret not having IS or not even miss it?I feel like I am in a fairy tale and looking for the Prince Charming camera or the Goldilocks "just-right" one that doesn't exist.Â*Main uses: I travel a lot and take plenty of pictures on trips, take home/family snapshots, a few fountain pen closeups, and take indoor pictures of my hat designs for work. I don't blow up that many to 8 x 10 or larger but I would like to have that option.Any feedback greatly appreciated.Â*

The Fuji would probably serve you well in many of the same situations that would require image stabilization in other cameras. If it feels good to you, you're far more likely to have it in your hands and ready for use, than if you dread touching it.

I should add here that I have no experience with the Fuji 5200/5600, but I am a happy Fuji F10 user who has also used several ultrazoom cameras.

For candid shots of people, the Fuji's high ISO will almost always be more useful than IS when you're at the wide end of the zoom range. However, the benefits of IS can be more useful when you're shooting inanimate objects and you don't have control of the lighting.

At the tele end of the zoom range, IS becomes much more important. The Fuji should be fine in all daylight situations, including heavy overcast. If you need telephoto effects in poorly lit situations, though, it may not be satisfactory.

I wonder if there are any products available that might make it easier for you to use other cameras. I'm thinking of coatings that could be applied to offending surfaces, or a protective shield that could cover the surface like a rubber glove. Have you looked into this?

I am allergic to some things but fortunatly not plastic, I am allergic to some silicone additives though and have found coating some things with fingernail polish or clear paint or hobby coatinghelps.

I also was under the impression a good part of the FZ20 was metal acording toa sites review stating that is why its so heavy but I cant remember which one.

I guess for you it must be the roughness of the finish as hard plastic texture has to do with the mold not the composition. I wonder if its the release chemicalthey use in the mold before pouring the plastic in if so you may be able to get it off with alcohol or somthing like that non dissolving. Id try it on somthing cheaper than a camera though.

I just read your camera requirements again and have a panasonic LZ1its a pocket camera with ISa 6xzoom and 5mp. It has a silver painted greyplastic body and is an impressive camera especially for the price $200. Its worth looking at.